Chapter 64
Just after midnight, seven or eight figures scurried into the courtyard of Yi Luoyue's villa, where Gong Yuchen and his companions lived. Each one was agile and wielded a long sword. But after landing, they gazed at the still-bright candlelight inside the room and hesitated outside, unsure whether to go in and take action.
Unexpectedly, a sneer was heard from inside the house at this moment, and the men in black outside the house raised their knives vigilantly to be on guard.
"Since you are here, why don't you dare to take action?" Gong Yuchen opened the door and walked out with his hands behind his back with a stern face.
The leading man in black was shocked.
"You knew we were coming!"
At this time, the sound of footsteps was heard outside the courtyard gate, and Liefeng led the guards out from the darkness.
Gong Yuchen sneered and nodded at the men in black.
"Are you the only ones here? Who sent you to assassinate me? The virtuous prince or Gong Yuxian?"
Damn it! I'm afraid I'm going to die here today! But why did Gong Yuchen know they were coming? The black-clothed leader secretly said in his heart that it was not good, but as a death warrior, he could not disobey the master's orders.
"I'm sorry, Prince Xiyi, someone is paying to buy your life! We do things for money, and we can't let you know the truth. When you go to the underworld, ask the King of Hell who wants your life! Come on!" The black-clothed leader gave an order and attacked Gong Yuchen.
"Our lives? Liefeng, leave one alive." Gong Yuchen waved his hand and ordered to spare one. The other party did not want him to know who was behind this. Such caution must be because they were afraid of leaving any clues.
"Yes." Liefeng and his guards heard the order from Gong Yuchen, and his face became serious.
The courtyard erupted in flashes of swords and wailing cries. The black-clad men were no match for Liefeng and his well-trained secret guards. Even so, Liefeng and his men dared not delay. Upon receiving the order, they swiftly dispatched all the assassins, save for the black-clad leader. As for the leader, Liefeng swiftly dislocated his jaw and removed the poison-filled wax pellet hidden in his teeth, preventing him from biting through the poison and committing suicide. He was well aware of the assassins' tactics.
The situation in the courtyard was under control in an instant, and the leader was forced to kneel in front of Gong Yuchen.
"Your Highness, these people don't have anything on them to prove their identities."
"Since the other party is masked, it means he is trying to conceal his identity. How could he have any evidence that could reveal his origin?" Gong Yuchen looked coldly at the corpses lying on the ground.
"Deal with it first."
"Yes." The other secret guards moved the corpses off the ground one by one.
Gong Yuchen raised his leg and walked slowly to the front of the leader in black.
He stretched out his hand to signal Liefeng to give him the knife, and when he got the knife from Liefeng, he cut the tendons of the black-clothed leader's hand with a single stroke. When he did this, the leader opened his eyes wide in fear and his mouth trembled.
"Ah!" A scream pierced the night sky.
"Who sent you here?" Gong Yuchen stared down at him condescendingly.
"Bah!" After hearing this, the leader's bloodstained and cracked face showed no fear. He stared at Gong Yuchen provocatively with resentful eyes.
"Kill me if you dare!"
"Don't tell me?" He reached out and pinched his wound hard, and warm, bright red blood flowed down his hand.
"Ah! ...You're killing me!"
"Want to die?" She took the towel handed to her by Liefeng, wiped the blood off her hands, and threw the towel on his face.
"That's too good for you."
Gong Yuchen spoke in a sinister tone.
"Take him back and let Li Fei find out the culprit." This place is not a good place to force a confession, so let Li Fei investigate.
"Yes! Liefeng received the order and waved his hand to send someone to take the assassin away."
"Your Highness, judging by their moves, they don't seem like people from our Western Yi side. Did they just say someone offered money to buy your life?"
"Hiring a killer to kill? Killers usually act alone. Once the assassination is successful, they immediately retreat without delay. Trying to kill me is not something an ordinary killer can do. And these people are clearly attacking in a group. It's called an assassination, but it looks more like a war."
"So these people are from the military? Then they are trying to frame you? They are trying to disrupt the direction of your highness's investigation."
Gong Yuxian had just taken action, so he was clearly not in the same group as these people. This meant they could only be sent by Yi Luoyao. But why did he choose to act now? He had no evidence to bring Yi Luoyao down, so why was he so anxious? Could it be that these people weren't sent by Yi Luoyao either?
"Send a message to Li Fei, and tell him to pry open the assassin's mouth as soon as possible."
"yes."
"Tomorrow you arrange for some people to stay in the dark. If these people are not sent by Yi Luoyao and Gong Yuxian, tomorrow night's Qilin Festival will probably be the perfect opportunity for them to take action."
"As you command, I'll make the arrangements right away."
"Go ahead."
After finishing his work, Gong Yuchen returned to the room and saw that Bai Die had already prepared hot water for him to wash his hands.
"Gong Yuchen, are you okay? They didn't hurt you, right?" Yi Luoyue, who had returned from next door, walked to him and looked at him worriedly.
"Don't worry, it's okay. Liefeng is here. Your husband is just watching and not doing anything." Gong Yuchen comforted her while putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Xiaoyue'er isn't awake yet, right?" Gong Yuchen was worried that the assassin's shouting would wake Xiaoyue'er up.
"No, she slept well and didn't wake up."
"Bai Die, you should go next door and accompany Xiaoyueer and the others." Gong Yuchen first dismissed Bai Die.
"Yes, Your Highness, Princess."
"What do you want to ask?" He carried Yi Luoyue back to the bed. Based on his understanding of Yi Luoyue, he couldn't sleep well unless he asked something.
"Do you know who sent this to kill us?"
"It's hard to say, but it doesn't seem like Gong Yuxian this time."
"Is it my eldest brother?" Yi Luoyue was really heartbroken.
"Maybe, but not quite."
"How do you say that?"
"This is not Yi Luoyao's style."
"If it's not them, then who could it be?" Yi Luoyue couldn't understand. Apart from them, who else would want to kill them?
"Don't think too much for now. I've asked Li Fei to investigate. I believe there will be an answer soon." In fact, in addition to Yi Luoyao and Gong Yuxian, he had another suspect in his mind.
"Go to sleep, it's okay with me here." He whispered in her ear and glanced at her. The mark he left on her neck had long faded.
"I'll stay with you." She looked at him lovingly.
Seeing her expression, he smiled, and held her even tighter. His palms rested on her waist, moving slowly along her back. When they reached her neck, he tore open her skirt and branded his mark on her neck again. He kissed her lips hard, prying them open with the tip of his tongue, and delved into her mouth, savoring the softness and sweetness. A sweet taste penetrated his mouth, and her sweetness made his blood boil, flowing through his body. His male instincts were immediately aroused by her.
Her delicate skin trembled with excitement at the rubbing of his rough hands. His hot lips branded her body, face, and lips. He held her tightly, letting her feel his fiery love. It was still early, so sleeping later wouldn't hurt. After making love, they slept in each other's arms, their bodies close, their hearts close.
The Qilin Festival at the Four Gods Temple is one of the Yi Kingdom's four major annual rituals, held in autumn. It symbolizes prayers for good weather and abundant harvests in the new year. The ceremony is often presided over by a highly respected master from the Four Gods Temple. A tall altar is erected in the center of the temple, upon which a Qilin statue is placed. A variety of offerings are neatly arranged on an altar before the statue. The ceremony officially begins with the officiant, holding instruments and reciting a mysterious prayer. The prayer often prays for the Qilin to bless the people with peace, a good harvest, and the prosperity of livestock. The entire process is rigorous and orderly, imbued with a sacred ritual.
As the memorial ceremony came to an end, a float parade began at the foot of the mountain. Various floats related to Qilin were carried by many shirtless strong men, walking through the streets and alleys, and finally carried from the foot of the mountain to the Four Gods Temple on the mountain.
Once the deity statues are placed in the temple, the six large lanterns in front of the Four Gods Temple are lit. Lanterns on the stalls below the mountain also quickly light up. Brightly lit and bustling with activity, the bustling night market officially begins. Later, a variety of unique prayer lanterns illuminate the night sky, and the memorial service attracts thousands of people, crowding the town below.
"Daddy, look, that's a Qilin in front!" The petite Xiaoyue was held in Gong Yuchen's arms and pointed at the Qilin float in the float team and shouted happily.
"Mother, why are there so many fruits and wheat ears in front of the Qilin?"
Yi Luoyue, who was standing close to the father and daughter, explained to her in a soft voice.
"The Qilin is a sacred animal. When it appears, it brings a good harvest to the people. Every year during the Qilin Festival, we offer the Qilin a bountiful harvest of grain to thank it for blessing the wheat fields with full ears and the fruit trees with large and abundant fruits. We also hope that Xiaoyue can enjoy more bowls of rice made from the new harvest."
"Xiao Yue'er knows that the Qilin is our Xiyi spiritual beast."
"Yes. Our Yi nation has four great spirit beasts, which protect the four barbarians. The guardian spirit beast of the Western Yi is the Qilin."
"Will the Qilin protect Xiaoyue?"
"Xiao Yue'er is the little princess of Xiyi, Qilin will of course protect Xiao Yue'er." Holding Xiao Yue'er, Gong Yuchen continued to watch the float parade, looking completely different from the cold look he had last night.
When the spirit beast float entered the "Four Gods Temple", the lanterns in the night market began to light up one after another, and Gong Yuchen and others began to enjoy the lively atmosphere.
Night markets are a delight for children. Their biggest draws are the various jugglers and toy stalls. Jugglers perform fire-eating, sword-spitting, and acrobatic feats, drawing cheers from the children. The toy stalls display a wide variety of colorful and adorable toys, including windmills, clay figurines, and bamboo dragonflies. Children gather around the stalls, chattering as they select their favorites, their faces filled with innocent smiles. Besides the fun and eye-catching sights, the food stalls at the night market are truly mouth-watering. The aroma of various specialty snacks fills the air, drawing everyone's attention.
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